Osprey Men-at-Arms 75 : Armies of the Crusades

In the early crusades men of all ranks from all over Europe took the cross and went to fight Islam as volunteers. Some went out of religious fervour, others to escape the plagues and famine which were rife at the time, still others in search of land or a fortune in loot. By the era of the 3rd crusade, religious fervour had lessened, feudal armies were raised by leading monarchs and stiffened with mercenaries and by the time of the 6th crusade, knights went mainly from a sense of duty or in hope of gaining favours, whilst the infantry was almost entirely mercenary. Fighting alongside all of these were the armies raised in Outremer, the Holy Land itself. Together they waged a bloody religious war, the participants of which included such forces as the Knights Templar, the Teutonic Knights, and the Byzantine Army. Terence Wise explores the events, forces, organisation, weapons and uniform of both sides, presenting an absorbing account of one of the most fascinating of historical subjects. Packed with museum photographs of surviving equipment, numerous illustrations and eight full page colour plates by Gerry Embleton which faithfully recreate the dress and weapons of the forces involved.

Contents

• The Armies of Christendom
• The Armies of Islam
• The Plates